graymale "Palm Springs Foodie"

To celebrate our 20th Anniversary we went with friends to our favorite restaurant in Palm Springs, Copley’s on Palm Canyon. Always lovely, this restaurant has never failed us. Tonight was no exception.

Juliana Manion Copley welcomed us warmly and we began with some wine and cocktails. Steve had the chilled Summer Pea Soup & Asparagus, while I had the Peking Duck & Warm Artichoke Salad, and James & Richard the Tossed Green Salad with Figs to start. The specials for the evening appealed to us too; and we went with the Braised Short ribs, Walnut Crusted Halibut with Lobster, and Roasted Fillet of Scottish Salmon. All excellent. Desert was shared with an Apple Tart and a trio of Pistachio, Cinnamon and Ginger ice cream. Another wonderful evening at Copley’s courtesy of Executive Chef & Co-Owner Andrew Manion Copley.

Well from the news these past few weeks, you wouldn’t think this would be a good time to open a huge (10,000 sq ft), new, sleek restaurant; especially one that has been built from the ground up. But that is just what has happened this week here in Palm Springs when Dink’s Restaurant and Ultra Lounge opened on Monday, and it has had people talking. (DINK: Double Income No Kids).

Yesterday, our former neighbor, Bob, Steve and I went to check it out for lunch. When we arrived we were given the whole tour of the place, it is gorgeous. This is the first brand new restaurant built from scratch in Palm Springs in many years, and its design and architecture certainly take advantage of the views of the mountains, as well as being a “green” building. Carol Saba, CEO of IDH INC. was contracted to build the shell structure with Michael Owings, owner of MDO Hospitality, Inc of Palm Desert, to design the kitchen and the restaurant’s interior.

The menu was a pleasant surprise as well. Made up of a variety of sandwiches, burgers, pizza, salads, small plates, as well as a few more substantial items after 5 pm, the prices were very reasonable too. We started out with some Salmon Pate Dip with Blinis that was served with chopped red onions and capers. The flavor was fine, more like a salmon cream cheese, but the cold blinis didn’t do it for me. Each of us had different items for lunch, Bob had a sandwich, Steve a salad, and I went for the Crab and Avocado Quesadillas that was served with two stuffed small chili peppers and some nice salsa. The quesadillas were done with spinach tortillas and had a very delicate flavor that blended the avocado and crab together. The chili peppers were hot and I was glad I had a Corona to cool my mouth down.

The service was impeccable. There seemed to be a lot of waitstaff, which is good but can make your expenses high, and there were no awkward moments that often happen when restaurants first open. You could tell their training had been extensive. They were attentive without being on top of you and the food runners kept the diet coke and iced tea flowing.

We didn’t try any of the wonderful sounding drinks or desserts, but I am sure we’ll be back some evening to lounge in the fabulous outdoor space.

Manhattan in the Desert is Palm Springs’ more upscale deli. Ever since this deli opened about three years ago, it is always mobbed. Never mind if it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, the parking lot is full and you usually have to wait; often though for only a few minutes. Of course while you are waiting you are face-to-face with their humongous deserts and pastries; each of which could easily serve two to three.

Being that it was a rainy evening I think brought out everyone who had been home going stir crazy. Our waiter was swamped, mostly with very fussy older customers, but the hostess was right on the ball and came over to greet us and take our order. (Our busser had already brought over water and the ubiquitous tray of pickles and sourkraut.)

I ordered a cup of the Mish Mash Soup (chicken with rice, carrots, noodles, matzo ball and kreplach) and my partner had the Beef Barley Soup. My soup was delicious. Just right for a damp night. No need for the saltines that they served with it however.

From there I went on to a half a pastrami sandwich on rye with potato salad, and Steve had the chicken liver and onions with veggies and mashed potato. The pastrami was just right; warm and moist, and Steve’s liver and onions had everything he liked about them too; crispy and tender and lots of flavor.

Our waiter returned and he was still charming after a long day of fussy customers, and used his sense of humor with the desert tray to make everyone feel good. We settled on a piece of five-layer chocolate cake with raspberry and chocolate frosting to split between us when we got home. The cake was just a decadent as Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park that we watched while consuming it with a cup of coffee.

I had never been to Thai Smile, but have heard about it for more than a year. Before leaving Boston I had gotten my fill of Thai food, especially Pad Thai, so hadn’t been in a Thai restaurant for a while.

Today went there for a business lunch and was not disappointed. I didn’t have the Pad Thai though so can’t compare it to other Thai restaurants I’ve eaten in.

Got there a bit early and even though there were only two of us, got a nice booth (already set for four) in the front window. The hostess was most accommodating and pleasant.

They brought us iced tea right away (even without asking) and when we said water would be fine, they returned with that. Each of our lunch specials came with either soup or salad. I had the soup. Nice and hot with chunks of chicken, vegetables and a nice broth. Our entrees were also both well seasoned and very ample.

I’d go back, especially for lunch.

Going to Davey’s is like going to your family’s ancestral home for that fancy meal. The food is a bit better than your mother or grandmother made, but the atmosphere and food are what you imagine it should be.

Currently they are running a special dinner price of $21.95 (6 to 9 pm) that includes soup or salad, entree, desert and coffee.

The four of us enjoyed ourselves immensely, over cocktails, and hot warm sourdough bread.

To start, one of us chose a green salad with blue cheese on the side, two of us Caesar salad (one with anchovies and one without), and the other gazpacho.

For our entrees, two of us had the “Sand Dabs” with baked potato and vegetable, another the Veal Picatta with pasta, and I had the Prime Rib with garlic mashed potato.
Each of us enjoyed our meal, not leaving a drop.

For dessert we all had Orange Sherbet and coffee.

It wasn’t to die for, but it was very good.

This hotel restaurant located in the Spa Hotel serves your typical breakfast, lunch and dinner fare. If you are staying at the hotel or using the Spa it is a fine place to pop in for a bite.

For a business lunch I had the Hot Pastrami Sandwich that came with either French fries, potato salad or cole slaw. My partner went with the Tuna Sandwich that came with the same.

Very inexpensive and the service was fine.

Coming out of The Secret Life of Bees, I was actually hungry for southern cooking, but my friends weren’t up for it. We decided to walk a few blocks to a favorite, Café Amusé.

Getting there shortly before the kitchen closed, the server was bubbly and energetic and said of course they could accommodate us.

We did listen to the specials, but instead went with items on the regular menu. Crab cake, Beef Stroganoff and Strip Steak. All were prepared well and served to us very quickly. The flavors of the stroganoff were wonderful with lavendar scent and the sauce and French fries with the strip steak excellent.

Dessert was a shared Banana Bread Pudding with Chantilly Cream and Chocolate Sauce. Yum

Recently reopened after their summer hiatus, Café Amusé is the perfect place for lunch. (Brunch was great too; the last time I was there.)

Located across from the Spa Hotel this casual restaurant provides French-influenced American cuisine for breakfast, lunch & dinner.

Currently, Wednesday through Friday, for lunch they have a special of three “mini” bites for $10 that includes both salads and sandwiches. Each of the three of us went for this idea.

I had the Caesar salad, Rare Roast Beef Sandwich with Irish Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Heirloom Tomatoes, Romaine, Horseradish Mayo, Pommery Mustard on Sourdough, and the Andalusian Sandwich with Paquillo Peppers, Manchego Cheese, Grilled Eggplant, Zucchini, Fennel, Roasted Garlic, Basil Aioli, Picholine Olive Tapenade, Arugula on Ciabata.

My other two friends had "The Wilker” salad (Pine Nut Crusted Goat Cheese, served warm, with Baby Spinach, Pickled Red Onions, Fresh Blackberries and White Balsamic Vinaigrette), mini-burger and the Andalusian sandwich.

We also shared a (small) bowl of Vichyssoise that came with some nice herbs and olive oil on top. We also considered the Carrot Cake, but at the last minute decided our lunch had been just right.

Having read two rave reviews of this restaurant here on Menuism, we went and tried it last night.

I knew it was going to be in strip mall and small, but was kind of shocked at how small. We ended up sitting at the bar, which in a sushi restaurant is the best place since you can then watch the Sushi Chef preparing your sushi.

We each had a large Sapporo beer ($5.50) and ordered the “All You Can Eat” special ($22.00). I started with a Spicy Tuna roll, Salmon Sushi and Crab Sushi. We also tried the Tuna Sushi, Philadelphia (Salmon & Cream Cheese) roll, Shrimp Tempura with Avocado roll, Scallop Sushi, Yellow Fine Tuna Sushi and a few I’ve forgotten.

It was a lot of food, but a great deal for the price. The waiter was friendly and helpful, the Sushi Chef talented. The only real downer is the atmosphere. It is very plain, small and a bit like eating at a fast food place, than at a nice Japanese restaurant.

I’ve been by this chain restaurant many times while at The River, but don’t usually eat at chain restaurants. However today we wanted to eat out for lunch and gave it a try.

It is a large sports-type bar restaurant and I can imagine it can be crazy when full and a football game is on. Today it wasn’t crowded at lunch time, but that didn’t make the service fast.

Advertising that they have the largest number of beers on draft, I went with the Blue Hawaiian Hefeweizen that came with a lemon wedge. It was cold, had a nice aroma and sweet task. Great on a hot afternoon. It just took a bit too long to arrive when the bar was literally 15 feet away.

I ordered the Spicy Chicken Breast sandwich that was advertised as blacked chicken breast with shredded cabbage, cheddar and jack cheese with cajun aioli sauce on cheese flat bread. It came with nicely salted thin fries two slices of tomato and a pickle spear.

I first tried the fries: cold but still tasty; then I took a bite of the strange looking bread that the sandwich was in. (It wasn’t panini, but something flat and glossy on the top.) It tasted like sawdust. It was dry, no flavor and added nothing to the sandwich. I took the bread off and although there was some sauce, it certainly wasn’t spicy. Nor was the chicken blackened; just dry, and there was hardly any cold slaw. If it hadn’t been for the tomatoes, I don’t think I could have gotten it down.

My partner had their Greek salad with vinaigrette which consisted of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta and a bit of lettuce. (He liked it because he hates lettuce.) He also got the classic sliders that are four mini burgers with cheddar cheese, fries and pickle.

I complained to the woman who took my plate about the bread and she told me “Oh, we have other breads, you could have had it on something else.” Well I thought the cheese bread sounded good. I’ve had good cheese bread, and since my server never mentioned any other alternatives, how would I know?

This place might be good for bar food while watching a game, but there are a whole lot of other restaurants of this type that do it a lot better.

Whenever I crave a fun family-style Mexican restaurant, there is only one place that comes to mind: El Mirasol.

Located just around the corner from where we live, the place is usually hopping and we have to wait, but not usually more than 15 minutes. They have two interior dinning rooms, and an outdoor patio. Early in the evening it is filled with lots of families, but as the night gets later (7:30 on) it becomes a lot more gay.

A lot of folks come here for the Margaritas and Frozen Daiqairis, but I’d just as soon have a Corona. They also bring you great chips and salsa, that you can spice up if you like with the large bottle of hot sauce they’ll bring to you.

Tonight I ordered one of the specials: Crab Enchilladas that was served with rice and beans, along with sour cream. They were delicious. My partner had the Carne Asada Tacos which were not as good as their fish ones. (the beef was a bit too overdone).

There are definitely lots of Mexican restaurants in the Palm Springs area that have a large menu, but none as down home or fun.